Pattern controlling selector arrangement



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15. 1967 N @GQ INVEN-ron /1% 45%. MMM/wr' ATTORNEY March 17, 1910 E. RIBLER 3,500,662v` PATTERN CONTROLLING SELECTOR ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 15. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY March 17, 1970 E, .BLER 3,500,662

PATTERN CONTHOLLING SELECTOR ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 15, 1967 5 4 sheets-sheet s March 17, 1970 E. RIBLER 3,500,562

PATTERN CONTROLLING SELECTOR ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. l5. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

United States Patent O 3,500,662 PATTERN 'CONTROLLING SELECTOR ARRANGEMENT Erich Ribler, Kenzingen, Germany, assignor to Franz Morat GmbH, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany Filed Feb. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 616,228 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 16, 1966, M .68,419 Int. Cl. D04b 15/68 U.S. Cl. 66-50 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The copending application Ser. No. 436,614, now U.S. Patent 3,365,916 filed by Ribler et al. on Mar. 2, 1965, and entitled Selector Magnet Arrangement and the copending application Ser. No. 532,304 led by Schmidt et al. on Mar. 7, 1966, and entitled Selector Apparatus disclose arrangements which can be improved by the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned copending applications disclose circular knitting machines whose cylinder needles and/ or dial needles are operated by needle influencing jacks which are selectively controlled by resilient control elements selected for actuation by electromagnetic selector means.

In my U.S. Patent No. 3,292,393, the needle influencing jacks are spring biased and locked by the control elements until the same are moved by an electromagnetic selector to a position releasing the respective jacks.

In the copending application Ser. No. 532.304, the jacks are pivotally mounted and are angularly displaced by resilient control elements selectively operated by the electromagnetic selector.

The construction disclosed in the application Ser. No. 436,614, now U.S. Patent 3,365,916 is similar to the construction disclosed in my U.S. Patent 3,292,393.

In circular knitting machines of this type, the control elements and correlated jacks and needles are arranged in a circumferentially extending row. For constructive reasons, the control elements must be closely spaced from each other and consequently have to be constructed as thin resilient wires which do not always accomplish the desired control function with the accuracy required for the knitting of a perfect pattern.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome this disadvantage of prior constructions, and to provide a circular knitting machine with a selector arrangement affording more circumferential space for each control element.

Another object of the invention is to provide more circumferential space for each control element so that the use of thicker and stronger control elements is possible.

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Another object of the invention is to stagger adjacent control elements.

With these objects in view, one embodiment of the invention is applied to a circular knitting machine and comprises carrier means, for example the needle cylinder or dial of the knitting machine; a set of needle iniluencing elements mounted on the carrier means; a number of selector means located at a selecting station spaced from each other the same distance as the selector means and and Vselectively actuated in accordance with a program representing a knitting pattern; and the same number of circumferential rows of control elements spaced from each other the same distance as the selector means and respectively passing the selector means during rotation of the carrier means.

The control elements are respectively aligned with the needle influencing elements and are selectively actuated by the selector mns to cause movement of the respective correlated needle influencing elements.

The displaced needle inuencing elements operate the needles.

The control elements are disposed in the circumferential rows so that adjacent control elements are staggered in a direction transverse to the circumferential direction of the carrier means. For example, control elements mounted on a needle cylinder are arranged in a number of circumferential circular rows which are axially spaced, While the control elements which are mounted on the dial are arranged in a number of circular rows spaced in radial direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention two circular rows of control elements cooperate with one circular row of needle iniluencing elements and are respectively selected -by two electromagnetic selector means which are program-controlled to be energized or deenergized during passage of control elements in accordance with a knitting pattern.

Particularly when the control elements a-re used for locking spring biased needle inuencing elements, it is advantageous to provide an anchoring part on a resilient wire so that the thicker anchoring part is reliably attracted by the respective electromagnetic selector means or released by the same to 'reliably lock the Irespective needle inuencing element. Due to the staggered disposition of the thick anchoring parts of the control elements, a greater circumferential space is available for the thick anchoring parts.

The use of two or more electromagnetic selector means instead of one, permits the use of smaller electromagnetic selector means and the magnetizable iron cores can be dimensioned in view of the greater available space. Due to the provision of several rows of control elements, the time period available for the selection by each electromagnetic selector means is lengthened, as compared with prior constructions, and is greater than the time of energization required for the selection. The dimensioning of all parts in circumferential direction is facilitated, which is particularly advantageous if the pitch of the control elements and needle influencing elements is small.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specilic embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of fragmentary axial sche.- matic sectional views FIG. 1A to FIG. 1E illustrating the 3 :lector arrangement of the invention and being respecvely taken in the regions A, B, C, D and E in FIG. 2; 1d

FIG.v 2 is a yfragmentary developed view taken in the lrection of the arrow 2 in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic front view illustratlg the selector arrangement according to a modied emadiment; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary axial sectional view taken on ne IV-IV in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now particularlyk to FIGS. l and 2 which ilrstrate an arrangement according to theinvention as aplied to a circular knitting machine constructed in acardance with my U.S. Patent 3,292,393, the carrier leans for needle influencing elements 1i forms part of a eedle cylinder 3 which has axially extending peripheral- I spaced grooves 3a' in which cylinder needles 2 are lounted for axial movement. Grooves 3a are formed etween thin plates 3a set into the body of the needle ylinder. A cam cylinder 230 carries inner stationary ams 130 and 122 cooperating with butts 2 of needles 2 nd located at a higher level, and cams 122 and 120 coperating with butts 1i of needle influencing elements or tcks 1i and located at a lower level.

Since needle influencing elements 1i and cylinder needles arelocated in the same axially extending grooves, elelents 1i directly cooperate with the cylinder needles 2 3 shift the cylinder needles in axial direction to a knit osition. FIG. 1A shows one element 1i in an inoperave position urged by a biasing spring 111 to move toyard the footend 2" of the correlated needle 2 whose utt 2' rests on cam 130, as also shown in FIG. 2. Each eedle influencing element 1i cooperates with a control lement 109. Two circumferential rows of control elenents 109 are provided, the upper and lower rows re- Dectively vconsisting of control elements 6o and 6u. Conrol elements 6u are shown in FIG. l substantially covred by control elements 6o. Circumferentially extending iolding means 131 are schematically shown and include n upper holding means 1310 and a lower holding means 31o and a lower holding means 13114 for respectively tolding the lower ends of the control elements 60 and 6u.

Each control element 109 has a hook portion 109b, the look portions of the upper control elements 6o cooperatng with slanted cutouts lo of the respective aligned alterlate needle inuencing elements 1i, and the hook portions f the lower control elements 6u cooperating with lower vutouts liu of thel respective correlated needle influencing lements.

Consequently, when a needle influencing element 1i s moved by its biasing spring 111 to an intermediate poition shown in FIG. 1B, locking hook portion 109b of :ontrol elements 6o and 6u, respectively, can snap into he respective cutout lio or liu. FIGS. 1A to 1E show |ositions of control elements 6o. Control elementsv 6u lan assume corresponding positions while cooperating Vith the alternate series of elements 1i, having cutouts iu. In this locked position, the upper end of element 1i s spaced from the foot 2" of needle 2 whose butt 2 rides n cam 130.

Region B of FIG. 2, and FIG. 1B of FIG. 1 show a electing station where two electromagnetic selector neans 8o 'and 8u are provided for cooperation with the ontrol elements 60 and 6u, respectively. Selector means lo and 8u are only schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and l, and are illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 4 to have vindings 8w and pole shoes 8p. Electromagnetic selector neans 8o and 8u are alternately used for making seleclons 'of control elements. When electromagnetic selector neans 8o is energized in accordance with a program on a rogram tape, for example, it attracts the control element 6o passing by, and when electromagnetic selector meansl 8o is not energized, the locking portion 109b of the respective control element is permitted to enter cutout lio of the respective needle influencing elements 1i and to lock the same in position shown in FIG. 1B, preventing upward movement of the needle influencing element by springlll.

The same operation is performed by electromagnetic selector means 8u with control elements 6u in accordance with a program, and since control elements 6o and 6u alternately pass the selecting station, selector means 8o and 8u are alternately controlled in accordance with the program.

Several selecting stations may be provided around the needle cylinder.

In the position shown in FIG. 1C, spring 111 has moved a selected needle influencing element 1i, which is not locked, to a higher position in which its upper end abuts the foot 2 of a needle 2. In the next following position shown in FIG. 1D, cam 120 has moved element 1i to an even higher operative position while the upper end of,Y the completely expanded spring 111 cannot follow element 1i, and since element 1i engages needle 2, the same is shifted to the knit position, while its butt 2' engages the lower face of stitch cam 121 which, as best seen in FIG. 2, lowers the needle until the same slides again on cam 130 in a lower cast off position.

At the same time, as shown in FIG. 1E and in region E of FIG. 2, a return cam portion 122a of cam 122 engages projection 1i and moves element 1i downward to an inoperative position, and since cam 122a merges into cam 122 which extends around the circumference of the cam cylinder, all elements 1i will arrive in the region A of FIG. 2 in the position shown in FIG. la.

Cam 122 extends around the inner surface of the cam cylinder in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the needle cylinder 3, but in the region of the selecting station 115, cam 122 has an upwardly slanted cam portion 122', followed by a gap 132 between cam portion 122' and a raising cam 120 which has a rising portion between points C and D in FIG. 2. Cam 120 terminates after point D and is followed by the return cam 122a at point E.

Cam 130 extends also in a planeperpendicular to the axis of the needle cylinder to point C and has between points C and D a rising cam portion 130a which is designed to raise a needle whose butt 2 slides thereon to the tuck position. Needles passing over the end of cam portion 130a will be engaged iby the lower face of stitchcam 121 and guided to a position in whichV the butts thereof slidingly rest on the horizontal cam 130.

During rotation of the needle cylinder in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, the lower ends of needles returned by stitch cam 121 will push corresponding needle influencing elements 1i in the region between points D and E in FIG. 2 to a lower position so that the projections 1i assume a lower position engaging the lower face of the slanted cam portion 122a so that all elements 1i are moved downwardly to the inoperative position shown in FIG. 1A. During such movement from the position As will become apparent from the following description, non-selected elements 1i will reach return cam portion 122e in the locking position shown in FIG. 1B in which locking portion 109b is located in the corresponding recess 1z`o or liu in a locking position. The downward slanting cam portion 122a will push elements 1i in this position downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 1A

so that the slanted shoulders of the respective recess will also push the locking portion 109b out of the recess and to a position slidingly engaging the edge of the respective element 1, as shown in FIG. 1A.

All needle influencing elements 11' arrive in the region of the selecting station at point B in the position shown in section A, and since the biasing springs 111 are tensioned in this lower inoperative position of elements 1i, projections 1i press against the lower cam face of cam 122, and all elements 1i move upward to an intermediate position while the projections 1i slide along the short upwardly slanting cam portion 122.

Each electromagnetic selector located on selecting station 115 includes a permanent magnet 115a which acts on all control elements 109 to hold the same in the position shown in FIG. 1A or to bend the same away from element 11' to a position slidingly abutting magnet' 115a. Thereafter, the control element moves with the needle cylinder 3 to a position located opposite electromagnetic selector means 11Sb, and the selection is now made depending on whether selector means 115b ofthe upper selector 8o or the lower selector 8u is energized, or not energized from the program control device of the machine. Assuming that selector 115b of one of the two selector means is energized, it will hold control element 109 sliding thereon, releasing the respective element 11' to move upward in gap 132. Non-selected control elements 60 or 6u snap into the respective recess 11'0 or 1in and lock the needle influencing element.

The non-selected elements 1i remain locked as shown in FIG. 1B until projection 11" is engaged by the downward slanting cam portion 122a, and the respective element 1i is pushed downward so that locking portion 109b is pressed out of recess lo or liu to the position shown in FIG. lA. FIGS. 1C to 1E illustrate a selected element 1i, so that for a non-selected element 1i, the position shown in FIG. 1A follows the position shown in FIG. 1B.

In the region D of FIG. 2, the needle is in the knit position and is lowered by stitch cam 121 until butt -2' rests on cam portion 130. Locking portion 109b momentarily snaps into cutout 11'0 or liu during the downward movement of the-respective selected element 11', but is pushed out again bythe slanted shoulders of the cutout to assume the position shown in FIG. 1A.

During the movement of a selected element 1i in gap 132 onto the pointed end of cam 120, its control element 109 is held by permanent magnet 115C of the upper electromagnetic selector means 8o or lower electromagnetic selector means 8u, whereupon control element 109 passes beyond the permanent magnets 115e` and drops with its locking portion 109b onto the edge of the selected element 1i, as shown in FIG. l0.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 which show modified details of the arrangement described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 on a larger scale, control elements 209 comprise a circular row of upper control elements 6o and a circular row of lower control elements 6u staggered in axial direction having hook portions 209b. The control elements have projections 6o and 6u cooperating with short circumferential cams 20o and 20u rising in circumferential and radial directions which guide selected control elements in radial direction toward the selector magnets, and away from the cutouts 11'0 and 1in in the needle influencing elements 1i. Control elements which are not attracted snap back at the end of cam 20o and 20u. The U-shaped holding means 70 and 7u are shown to be mounted in circular dovetail recesses 3o and 3u of the needle cylinder 3 secured by wedge members 7o' and 7u', respectively which spread the legs of holding means 7o and 7u. The holding means 7o and 7u are made of flat plates, as best seen in FIG. 3 and carry wire parts 6 of the control elements. Each holding means 70 and 7u has two legs 50, 51 connected by a curved yoke 52, and having abutment portions 50a, 51a and dovetail portions 50b and 51b matching the outline of the circular dovetail recesses 3o and 3u which surround the needle cylinder. A portion 50c of leg 50 has a tubular part in which a straight wire 6 is mounted. When control elements 209 (6o or 6u) are to be mounted on the needle cylinder, legs S0 and 51 are pressed together so that dovetail portions 50b, 51b can be inserted into circumferentially extending dovetail recess 3o or 3u. Upon release of the legs, the dovetails resiliently hold the respective control elements. To prevent accidental loosening, wedge portion 60 of a wedge member 7o or 7u is inserted between legs 50, 51 and rigidly blocks inward movement of the same. A handle portion 61 is laterally staggered in relation to wedge portion 60 so that handle portion 61 is located laterally of yoke 52, as best seen in FIG. 3. The sides of holding means 7o and 7u may labut divider plates 3a not shown in FIG. 3, set into the body of the needle cylinder and forming between each other the grooves for the needles and elements 1i. Divider plates 3a have projections 13a for guiding control elements 209. Anchoring parts 6b are secured to the wires 6 at the level of the respective electromagnetic selector means 80 or 8u, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and have hook portions cooperating with cutouts 11'0 and 1iu, respectively, of the needle influencing elements. Due to the fact that adjacent control elements 209 are staggered in axial direction, sutiicient space for the thicker anchoring portions 6b is available.

It will be seen that the staggered arrangement of the control elements results in a greater circumferential space for each control element, and for the electromagnetic selector means since one heavier selector magnet according to the prior art is replaced by two smaller axially spaced electromagnetic selector means 8o and 8u having a square cross section as shown in FIG. 3.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of selector arrangements dilfering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a selector arrangement having two staggered circular rows of control elements respectively actuated by two selector magnets, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or speciiic aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. Pattern controlling selector arrangement for a circular knitting machine, comprising, in combination, carr1er means mounted for rotation about an axis; a set of needle inuencing elements mounted on said carrier means for rotation therewith past at least one selectmg station and for movement thereon between an inoperatlve position and an operative position for displacing a correlated needle; a plurality of electromagnetic selector means located at said selecting station spaced from each other a predetermined distance in a direction transverse to the circumferential direction of said carrier means, said selector means being successively and selectively actuated in accordance with a program representlng a knitting pattern; and a plurality of circumferential rows of control elements, each control element including a resilient part and an anchoring part secured to said resilient part and being wider in circumferential direction than said resilient part, said anchoring parts forming a lurality of circumferential rows respectively correlated vith said selector means, said rows being spaced from each )ther said distance in said transverse direction, and respecively passing said selector means during rotation of said :arrier means, said control elements being respectively tligned with said needle influencing elements and being lelectively actuated by said selector means to cause movenent of the respective correlated needle inuencing elenent to said operative position, the number of all said conrol elements being equal to the number of said needle' inluencing elements and circumferentally adjacent anchorng parts of said control elements being staggered in said :ransverse direction and located in said circumferential rows, respectively, whereby more room is available for :ach anchoring part in said circumferential direction.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient part of each control element is a resilient wire, and wherein said anchoring part is wider in circumfer- :ntial direction than said wire part and has a hook portion cooperating with a correlated needle influencing means.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carrier is a needle cylinder rotatable about an axis and having axially extending peripheral channels in which said needle inuencing elements are mounted for axial movement; and wherein said transverse direction is the axial direction of said needle cylinder so that said electromagnetic selector means and said rows of anchoring parts are spaced in said axial direction.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, having two selector means, and two circular circumferential rows of anchoring parts so that alternate control elements are staggered in said transverse direction.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, -wherein said carrier is a needle cylinder having axially extending channels in which said needle inuencing elements are mounted for axial movement; and wherein said control elements resiliently tend to assume a normal position, and `are actuated by said selector means to move to an actuated position causing movement of said needle inuencing means to said operative position.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5, comprising biasing means biasing said needle inliuencing means to move to said operative position; wherein said control means in said normal position lock said needle inlluencing means to prevent movement of the same to said operative position, and release said'needle influencing means in said actuated position; and wherein said electromagnetic selector means attract, when energized, said anchoring parts of said control elements of said rows, respectively, to move the same to said actuated position.

7. Pattern controlling selector arrangement for a circular knitting machine, comprising, in combination, carrier means mounted for rotation about an axis; a set of needle influencing velements mounted on said carrier means for 'rotation therewith past at least one selecting station and for movement thereon between an inoperative position and an operative position for displacing a correlated needle; a plurality of selector means located at said selecting station spaced from each other 'a predetermined distance in a direction transverse to the circumferential direction of said carrier means, said selector means being successively and selectively actuated in accordance with a program representing a knitting pattern; a plurality of circumferential rows of control elements respectively correlated with said selector means, said rows being spaced from each other said distance in said transverse direction, and respectively passing said selector means during rotation of said carrier means, said control elements being respectively aligned with said needle influencing elements and being selectively actuated by said selector means to cause movement of the respective correlated needle inliuencing element to said operative position, the number of all said control elements being equal to the number of said needle influencing elements, and circumferentially adjacent control elements being staggered in said transverse direction whereby more room is available for each control element in said circumferential direction; and a plurality of circumferential rows of holding means spaced in said transverse direction and respectively securing said rows of control elements to said carrier means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,536,946 5/ 1925 Sutphen 66-40 2,081,637 5/ 1937 Nufer 66-50 3,365,916 l/1968 Ribler et al. 66-50 3,365,917 l/ 1968 Schmidt et al. 66-50 FOREIGN PATENTS 272,307 6/ 1927 Great Britain. 560,377 4/ 1957 Italy.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner 

